This Week In History

Updated on Wednesday*:

The following reports are taken from
The Calhoun Chronicle archives:

1932, 75 years ago

News comes from Washington, D.C.,
with the welcome information that one of our
citizens, Bernard H. Ayers, has been favored with
the good fortune to receive a United States letters
patent for an automatic producing valve.

The valve is adaptable for oil and
gas wells and is used for controlling the fluid
flowing from such wells. The mechanical structure of
the valve is very simple and its operation is
automatic in nature. The salient feature of the
invention is to utilize the valve in removing fluids
from oil and gas wells without wasting any gas.

It has the added advantage of saving the cost of a
pumping outfit and also a large amount of labor. The
valve is controlled by a float, which rises or falls
with the amount of fluid in the valve, thereby
opening or closing the valve automatically.

1957, 50 years ago

Fewer dental cavities may be
experienced by a future generation of Grantsville
citizens thanks to the action of the Grantsville
town council, which voted to add a minute particle
of fluoride to the town’s water supply.

Recognized only in about the
last 15 years as a way to prevent tooth decay, the
adding of fluoride to the water in no way affects
the taste or other properties of the water,
according to authorities who have studied the
matter. It is found in the natural state in some
water systems, and has been found that there were
less than normal amounts of tooth decay.

The presence of fluoride in its
natural state, and in the exact recommended
proportion, was found in several wells in the
Arnoldsburg section. The discovery was made after
investigation following dental check-ups by members
of the Arnoldsburg 4-H club.

Health officials emphasize that
the fluoridation of water will not be of any
significant help to adults, but point to the
benefits received by future generations.

1982, 25 years ago

Mary Ann Barrows wrote about her
retirement from the Chronicle: “I expect to continue to live in Calhoun County,
to be an active member of the community. This is a farewell only to a job which
has been interesting all the way, yes, even fun most of the time, and I have
loved it all. There are many friends I won’t see as often, but they will always
be in my heart, will be remembered for the rest of my life. It is a pleasant
farewell for everyone.”